


I only have these eyes for you

by orphan_account



Series: We can live in love in slow motion [1]
Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band), One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Law Student!Harry, M/M, Uni AU, famous!niall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-03 02:56:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2835476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Would you like to go on a date with me sometime before hols? I would very much appreciate it if you would,” Harry proposed shyly and looked into the blue of his eyes. “And it would be a date date, a real one this time,” </p>
<p>In which Louis is a patriot way too fond of Britain to let those Aussies of the hook, Liam is Harry's step brother, and Zayn doesn't really do anything, while Harry and Niall work their way from strangers to being the most important thing in the other's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I only have these eyes for you

February was Harry’s favourite month of the year. He was not sure if it had been that away his entire life, his mother would probably tell you he had, but these last five years had made sure that he would never hate a day in that wonderful month. Or at least always have something to look forward to.

It had been the first week of university, and Harry had just met the funnily talking Aussie that shared his room, “ _G’day matey. ‘m Lucas – people call me Luke or Lukey, but that’s mostly Ash so you don’t have to. ’m studying bio medicine, what ‘bout you?” when Harry had kept silent, the awkwardly tall boy had blushed and sat back down on his bed, “yeah, I usually don’t talk as much, ‘m not good around new people, and Ash always tells me to talk until I feel comfortable enough to be silent around someone,”_ And Harry had gotten that. You had to be some kind of friends before you could sit in a normal silence without it getting weird or turning spiteful.

It turned out that Ashton was in Harry’s psych class and when you got over the ridiculous amount of smiles and small giggles, mumbles of Luke being the most adorable human being and his love for scented candles, Harry accepted him as a normal guy, well as normal as a giggling 20-something Aussie, who moved to UK because of his boyfriend’s scholarship could be.

But what really changed Harry’s life was his first class of pre-law.

 

He had hardly gotten any sleep last night, Luke and Ashton thinking that Harry turning the lights off on his side meant ‘oh, he’s sleeping. It’s probably fine if we just shag in the bed across the room then,’ and hearing his roommate screaming seventeen different variants of Ashton’s name was not what Harry considered a good lullaby.

So when he already looked horrible without sleep, he just gave up trying to look even a tiny bit pretty. He pulled on a pair of day old skinnies lying on the floor – judging by the way Harry was legitimately swimming in them, they were probably Luke’s – and a beanie snagged from said roommate to cover his curls.

But when he arrived in the class room he suddenly regretted his choice of dirtied Chucks and sweater-paws. Because there, in the middle of the room sitting on two pushed together tables, was the love of his life – not that he knew it yet. Niall Horan was a sight for sore eyes, even the ones bordering on staying completely straight. In his light blue skinnies and tee shirt his blond hair seemed to shine like a halo which only was enhanced by the guitar and singing coming from his mouth.

“Okay class, quiet down please.” A loud, power voice called from behind Harry causing him to jump to the side so the teacher could pass him. “Thank you Niall for that wonderful cover of a Ne-yo song – you should try out for X-factor instead of sitting here in me classes,” The teacher called with cheek and shooed the lad, who was sitting in his chair, away.

“Oh Pauly, how would I get by without you for an entire year? I would simply _die_ ,” the angel – Niall – sassed back but hopped down from the table to sit on the chair. “Don’t tell me you didn’t miss me,”

“Alright, alright. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves yeah? We have some introductions to do.” Paul chuckled and walked to stand in the middle of the first row of students. “Why don’t we start with… you,” he said and pointed at Harry, who just now realised that he had not moved from his place at the door. “Tell us your name, your age, where you’re from, why you’re here and something of your choosing.”

“Oh uh,” Harry started when Paul by a nod had confirmed that it was indeed him he was talking to. “I’m Harry, I’m 18 and from Holmes Chapel, Cheshire. I’m here because I want to become a lawyour, and I really like acoustic music,” he blurted out before his brain could stop him.

A growing laugh spread around the room in a joyous manner, not malice or sarcastic, but heartfelt laughter deep from the heart with the blond boy as the front man.

“Good for you, what luck you joined me class then, with Niall being here and everything.” Paul smiled and sat down on the chair behind him, “Would you go next then, lover boy?”

“I’m Niall, 18, and I only need this law degree to make sure me agent won’t screw me over in a business deal later on. And I find Cheshirian lads with curls very attractive.” Niall smirked and tipped his hat in Harry’s way before pushing the chair beside him out with his foot.

“Well then, you on the last row will you go next?”

 

As it turned out Niall had started London U the year before, but had gotten a small gig as opening act for this new up-and-coming indie band _the_ _1975_ ’s UK tour and decided to drop out to focus on his career.

“But what about you and Mr. Higgins then? You seem oddly close if you only had him a couple of months,” Harry asked him when they had sat down in the hipster inspired café a little down the road of their school. He would not care to admit it, but he really liked the vibe of the place. The people, the music, the art hanging around – he felt more at home here than when he was out with Robin and mum at those fancy places they always insisted on when he was home.

“Oh, Pauly and me go way back. He’s me best friend, Louis’ uncle, but his father left when Louis was young, so Paul stuck around with his wife and kinda raised Louis as a man. I can’t really see him as a teacher now, more like a big brother especially with that accent of his, sounds just like me brother Greg.” Niall smiled and took a sip of the black coffee in his mug, before pulling away with an appalled look. “Jesus, that’s hot.”

“Does he go here too, Louis you know?” Harry questioned and sipped his tea with milk. He had never been much of a coffee drinker, caffeine did not do much to him not cola nor Red Bull helped on the late night studies.

“Yeah, we live in a small flat just off campus – though it’s more like Eleanor and ours now, so many night she’s stayed over lately,” he chuckled cheekily and learnt back in the worn arm chair. 

“Oh, _oh_.” Harry replied before his smile fell. He pulled back from the way he had leant over the table and sat up straight in his chair. “What does she study, this Eleanor of yours?”

“Well Harold, me Eleanor studies something boring like political science. Don’t really know why she doesn’t just drop out and become a model – you should see those legs on that girl, kinda like yours but a bit longer maybe – she would fit right in.”

Harry nodded quietly and fiddled awkwardly with the mute button on the side of his phone, until it vibrated once. “Oh, would you look at that. I’m sorry, that’s my brother and I have to go meet up with him. I’ll see you later, yeah?” and before Niall could agree, Harry was out of the door already ringing up Liam.

 

“He’s got a girlfriend, Li, so he’s not even gay! How could I have read all this wrong?” Harry whined loudly and flopped down on Liam’s bed. Liam was Robin’s son, so when he and Harry’s mum had married back when Harry was seven, they had brought Liam and Harry together. And what a match made in heaven.

Liam was the right amount of protective and smart to balance out the naivety and shyness that Harry emitted. And the two years between the two boys allowed them to have a proper little bro/big bro relationship where Liam could teach Harry everything he knew from how to make friends to what to do when puberty hit.

And as if luck had struck them, Liam had turned out to be gay just like Harry, allowing them to avoid the awkward conversation about the best way to please a girl, when their girl parts were not something neither of them found attractive.

“Harry mate, that’s the downside of being gay – you assume all lads are gay. I’m afraid they’re not.” Liam cooed softly and sat down at the head of the bed to pull Harry’s head into his lap.

“Zayn was, and you hadn’t even known him for an hour before asking him out.” Harry pouted and let out a whine when Liam threw the hideous bright orange beanie across the room. “Heeey, that’s my favourite.”

“Zayn’s special, I’m knew the minute I saw him that I was gunna be with him forever you know, called Anne and dad up right after he said yes to tell them about our date,”

“I could’ve done that if Niall and I was going out,” he whined and buried his head in the harsh fabric of Liam’s jeans. “He’s just so perfect you know. I looked up some of the videos from the tour and he wrote all kinds of beautiful songs.”

“I’m sorry bro, I guess you just have to move on then,” Liam said softly and ran a hand through the wayward curls on his brother’s head, “I’m sure there’s someone perfect for you out there.”

*

“So I only need presents for Ash, Mikey and you. What about you?” Luke asked from his place next to Harry. “I know you’ve bought that thing for Liam that you won’t tell me what is, and Anne bought the book for Robin for you; that just leaves me and your mum, right?”

Sometimes Harry really wanted to hit the lad beside him but Ashton was quite honestly a lot more muscular than him, and Harry had heard the stories when someone tried to touch Luke in a none friendly way. He really did not need to sport a bruise on Christmas.

“I do have other friends than you, you know. I’ve bought gifts for Ed, Grimmy, Caroline’s getting that perfume he wished for, and Taylor really wants something for her cat. And that’s just a few of them,” he pouted. Friends had always been an awkward thing for him to discuss. Until Uni no one really wanted to be friends with him, he had had a long and awkward puberty where his voice had gone up and down like a bloody rollercoaster in every conversation. Acne had been his closest friend and until a year ago he measured about 5’6. But Luke did not need to know stuff like that with his stylish quiff and smooth talking boyfriend.

“’lax Harold, I’m just taking the pissing.” Luke chuckled and gently patted his friend’s back.

“The _piss_ mate, you can’t take the pissing.” A voice quipped in from behind causing the two lads to turn around. “A bloody wonder you even got some of it right, the colonies should never had been granted independence look how bad it’s become with the phrases and the likes,” the stranger with the strange voice continued.

“Lou mate, leave the Aussie, or Santa won’t come by the 24th,” an Irish voice piped up from the spot next to the brunette Peter Pan-look-alike, causing Harry’s eyes to stray to the familiar blue eyes of Niall Horan.

“Who even celebrates Chrimbo anymore, it’s more likely God didn’t think one day to worship Louis Tomlinson was enough and then just made a holiday out of it,” Louis countered with a smile emitting nothing but pure sass. “But enough about me, could you please make the introductions Niall Horan?”

“Sure, Louis – this is Harry Styles and.. a friend, Harry and friend this is Louis Tomlinson, me friend and all around life ruiner.” Niall smiled and pulled his friend close to place a kiss on his cheek.

“Get off Horan, you might be an up-and-comer, but I’ll have none of it. Committed boys don’t do that kind of things,”

“Yeah, how’s the girlfriend by the way? We didn’t get to talk much before you left class again,” Harry said and tried to hide his discomfort behind a smile. Niall was obviously still together with this Eleanor girl, not that Harry could have known.

“Oh, she’s great; doing perfectly in her exams, but nothings else could be expected with a girl as perfect as El. Gunna spend Chrimbo with her parents this year and then my house for Boxing’s and back to Niall and I’s for Newie. Thank you by the way, not many people asks when they have Niall _Horan_ standing right beside me.” Louis replied with a beaming smile the minute Eleanor’s name left his mouth.

Somewhat confused, Harry turned to Niall and repeated, “No mate, I was asking about _your_ girl or is this some kinky sharing thing?” Harry had met people with a.. different perspective of what was normal. Like Mikey and Calum, who _could_ have sex with each other but always preferred it if someone was between them. Or the ears he had found in Taylor’s naughty drawer along with a pink collar with a name tag on. He did not judge – how could he when he had not even been close to what his friends were doing in the private of their homes? – but he just did not expect Niall to be _that_ polygamous.  

But apparently something he had said had been funny for the two lads. “Niall with a girl mate? That’s funny, like, I’m not saying he’s gay but no straight guy can look at El in just her knickers and bra and go, ‘ _oh, I thought they would be bigger, but I guess they won’t sag as much then, eh?’_ ”

“Just because it doesn’t get me going doesn’t me I can’t appreciate the beauty of your girl, mate.” Niall shrugged and met the wide eyes of Harry with a look of puzzlement. “Should we talk over there, Harry?” he asked softly and nodded to the booth selling burnt almonds.

“Yeah, just leave me with the Aussie, I’ll get him to convince the colonies to come home in no time.” Louis agreed and gave Harry a small push in the right direction, “So matey, what does it feel like to know that you’re basically from the prisoner race? ..”

 

“You looked quite surprised there, Harold.” Niall started out slowly before giving the merchant a few pounds for the almonds. “I mean, it was nothing you didn’t already know,”

“Like hell it was!” Harry spluttered hotly and pushed the sweet smelling bag away from where Niall was offering it. “You told me _you_ had a girlfriend, not Louis, _you_. How beautiful and brilliant she was, and how many days she spent the night at your house, and then you just disappeared. Didn’t even think to tell me you dropped out, _again!_ ”

“You didn’t show up to class! The entire first month of class, you weren’t there, ever since we had that date in the coffee shop, I didn’t see you around, _ever_. You hadn’t told me anything about your friends or where you live so what was I supposed to do?” Niall cried out in return and shoved the nuts into the deep pockets of his jacket.

“That.. you saw thought that was a date?” Harry said with a blush on his cheeks. Before he had not seen the point in arguing with a lad he had only met a few times, especially one who was not even interested in him. But perhaps that had been a date and Harry had just seen it _all_ wrong. They had talked about their family, their friends. Where they came from and what they wanted to do if they ever got the time or the money.

Niall had even offered to pay for Harry’s tea and the scone he had picked out from the window, but until now he had chalked it all up to the kindness of Niall’s heart. Because that was the way he acted with Grimmy and Caroline, always small touches to show that they cared or paying for super expensive meals that a uni student shouldn’t have.  And that probably was not the way all friends acted together, Harry thought now.

“You didn’t? I mean, I kinda made it very clear I thought you were really lovely the first day we met, that didn’t do it for you?” Niall frowned, but the smile on his lips began to grow.

“Oh, you know. Sometimes upcoming international singer/song writers just say that to make you feel better,” Harry replied, the same smiled mirrored on his lips.

“You’ve been following me moves? Heard some of the music maybe?” Niall was full on grinning now, and if this was not love in its purest and earliest form then he probably had not loved anything at all.

“I heard that stripped version of ‘ _What makes you beautiful’_ you made, really showed those One Tea guys, huh?” Harry chuckled and stepped a bit closer to the beamer lad before they fell into a pleasant silence.

It was clear to Harry that Niall had been discovered, maybe not fame over night, but he was on his way. The cheap bleach had been replaced with the work of a proper stylist hiding his dark roots even better and making his hair look almost natural.

The generic brand of his jeans had was swapped with ones where the seams were better executed, the fit better and the brand subtly but boldly shown. And the deep shadows underneath his eyes, caused by late night studies for the law classes, were gone and replaced with his now blemish free skin and healthy taint.

“So I was thinking…”

“Maybe you could…”

They looked at each other with a soft smile before chuckling awkwardly.

“Please go first,” Niall smiled and nudged Harry’s side gently.

“Would you like to go on a date with me sometime before hols? I would very much appreciate it if you would,” Harry proposed shyly and looked into the blue of his eyes. “And it would be a _date_ date, a real one this time,”

“I would like that, yeah.” Niall accepted with a nod. “And maybe if everything goes well you could come back for me and Lou’s party at New year’s, meet Eleanor and all,”

“Speaking of Louis, we should probably go save Luke from him changing Luke’s ringtone to the national anthem.”

“Oh, I’m sure Louis’s already done it by now,” Niall chuckled and snuck his hand into Harry’s before pulling him towards their two friends with a content smile on his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Any moments of the narry relationship you want to see? x.  
> Merry Christmas.


End file.
